Borsippa, Iraq

Borsippa or Birs Nimrud, a Sumerian name, which means the horn or the sword of the sea. This city is 15 km to the south of Babylon. In ancient times, it had its own religious significance as the place for the worship of Nabu, son of the great Babylonian god Marduk.

The most famous site in Borsippa is its tower or ziggurat, which is attached to a staircase of seven layers. The ruins of the tower are 47 m high. If you climb it, you will wonder what those dark-green lumps of molten bricks are. Some scholars think that the tower was once hit by a comet which melted its bricks, others believe that it was damaged by a great fire.

From the top, looking at the green country around you, you will see the traces of excavations that dates back to 1902, as well as the temple of Nabu, Esida "the firm house", and a prayer mosque.

At the next side of the tower, there is a hill on which it is believed that the shrine of Prophet Abraham "Ibrahim Al-Khalil" (pbuh) is situated.